Summary This position is located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) of the El Paso Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. El Paso Veteran's Affairs Healthcare System (ELPVAHCS) laboratory operating hours are from 0700 to 1600 hours Monday through Fridays, excluding Federal Holidays. The ELPVAHCS serves mainly Veterans located in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Performs venipuncture on patients using proper disinfection and collection techniques without requiring repeat attempts. Communicates the procedure to the patient in a professional and respectful manner to reduce patient anxiety. Verifies the correct patient by using 2 levels of identification (full name and full social security number) prior to collection of any specimens. Prepares the venipuncture site properly for blood draw. Collects the required volumes of blood in the required collection device. Properly labels and initials all samples (in front of the patient) for subsequent testing. Delivers blood and urine samples collected to the proper testing area of the laboratory in a timely manner. Maintains all patient confidentiality. Records all phlebotomy problems with appropriate corrective action and follow-up. Complies with all laboratory safety and infection control policies. Responsible for monitoring technical equipment and performing maintenance and quality assurance on instrumentation. Monitors lab environment; such as temperatures, freezers, refrigerators and incubators to ensure that they are working properly. Assists in training newly hired personnel, students, nurses, medical technicians, medical technologists as well as other employees in proper venipuncture technique, sample processing, ADP skills and procedures, clerical functions, etc. Ensures that each person being trained is given the attention needed to be able to perform the job independently after training has been completed. Signs as the proctor for student trainees. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, Various shifts: 6:45am to 3:30pm or 8:00am to 4:45pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients. Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met For positions at GS-4 (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled, six (6) months of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled? To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. General Experience is: Processing patient specimens and performing clerical support duties for a clinical medical laboratory in a large hospital or medical setting with a very high volume of specimens and tests. Working with minimal supervision, managing time by organizing and prioritizing duties and works effectively as a team member. Processing, preparing, and evaluating specimens for integrity. Operating complex instrumentation in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, chemistry, microbiology, and blood bank. Interpreting complex reports and cellular characteristics. Identifying abnormal smears and results. Troubleshooting complex and highly technical instrumentation. Recognizing and reacting to indicators of malfunction and can locate and implement corrective action. Performing new tests that involve very fine distinctions with delicate and exacting steps. Maintaining laboratory facilities, equipment, and reagent/chemical inventories. Adhering to laboratory safety and regulatory requirements. OR Education and Training For GS-4: Successful completion of (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2-year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in (a) above for GS-3; or (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. OR GS-04: COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION - Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Do you possess equivalent combinations of experience and education as described in question 1 and 2 to meet the total requirements for this position? If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AND/OR CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: If you do not submit the required document, your application will not be reviewed.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Specimen Collection IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
